Aligning analysis and engineering decision-making within a military distributed system of systems

This paper describes and expands upon the proposed System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) Process Framework for the Air Force Materiel Command first outlined in IEEE SoSE 2011. Through repeated uses, it became quickly understood that systems-of-systems processes were foundationally similar to but different from basic systems engineering processes. The SoSE Process Framework, supporting processes, and products provide a context to integrate across modern complex systems-of-systems. In defining the SoSE Process Framework we tailor existing systems engineering processes and add a minimal amount of SoS-level engineering to it. The four core SoSE processes, Architecture and Analysis, Test and Evaluation, Management and Governance together can help to successfully deliver integrated capabilities at the SoS and Enterprise level within the U.S. Air Force. The key concept introduced is the alignment of analysis and engineering efforts across the Enterprise System Engineering and Architecting realm, and the synchronization of decision making within the SoSE components. The paper concludes by discussing implications of the SoSE Process Framework, as well as recommendations for actions, products, key stakeholder decisions and future challenges.